


The Five People Who Mattered, and the Only One Riza Cared About

by This_is_not_my_Penname



Series: Royai Halloween Week 2018 [5]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: 5+1 Things, Character Study, F/M, How Riza handles grief, Royai Halloween Week 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-29 03:11:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16255469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/This_is_not_my_Penname/pseuds/This_is_not_my_Penname
Summary: A piece looking at how Riza handles grief and how her friends help her.





	The Five People Who Mattered, and the Only One Riza Cared About

Riza is a little girl when her mother passes away. She doesn’t quite understand it. Father simply says mother is sick, and that she’s going away. Riza asks if they’ll ever see her again, and Father says no. His voice is brusque and if Riza didn’t know better, she’d think he was going to cry. But Father never cries, and Riza doesn’t cry either. She is too young to really understand death.

 

2.

Riza is nearly seventeen when her father passes. His death had been expected, his health in constant decline for years. Still, she is shocked as she stands in front of the simple gravestone. It doesn’t quite make sense. This is death. Death is permanent. This is what happened to her mother so many years ago.

“Are you alright?”

“It’s… I’ll be fine.”

“Riza. He was your father.”

“And he was your teacher. Are you alright?”

She glances at Roy Mustang’s confused face. He wasn’t expecting his words thrown back at him, she can tell. 

“I’m… Your father was a good man.”

Riza laughs, and she can tell by his face it’s the wrong response.

“Let’s go home, Roy. Please. I don’t… like it here.”

“Well… Alright then.”

 

3.

Maes’ funeral is shocking. He’s so young, and it’s a murder. Riza stands there right behind Roy, trying to hold her tears in. She remains behind when everyone leaves the funeral. Roy is there too, tears streaming down her face. Riza doesn’t comment. She understands that everyone handles grief differently.

“Let’s go, Roy. Standing here won’t bring him back.”

“I know that, Riza.”

“Come on. We’ll go to your aunt’s. We’ll have a drink in his honor.”

“Yeah… Let’s do that.”

 

4.

Roy’s inauguration to the office of Fuhrer is scheduled for the day after Grumman’s funeral. His last few years, Riza had grown close with her only living family member. He had walked her down the aisle at her and Roy’s wedding. The wedding she’d never thought she’d get to have.

“Riza are you alright?”

“I’m… Is this how it’s supposed to feel? Empty?”

“Yeah, Riza. Yeah, it is.”

 

5.

It’s the first time Riza’s cried after losing someone. Hayate had been one of the only constants in her life. Roy’s arm wraps around her shoulder, and she hides her head in his shirt.

“Hey, Riza. It’s okay. I’m here.”

“H-he was… I-I…”

“I know,” Roy murmurs. “It’s hard. I know it is.”

“He’s gone, Roy. H-he’s gone and I don’t know what to do.”

“Just breathe. We’ll figure it out, okay?”

 

6.

“You weren’t supposed to do this, Roy. You were supposed to be here to help me.”

She sits next to the tombstone. It’s simple, plain. Just like he wanted. She’d never been good at handling the emotions. She didn’t know what do. She missed her Roy.

“Riza… What are you doing out here?”

Riza looked up. Rebecca was there, her hair now streaked with grey.

“I… I’m not ready to let go.”

“I know.”

“How do you let go? How do you… How do you handle it?”

“You… Don’t. It never gets easier.”

Riza sighs. “I… I’ll go back eventually. I just… need a little more time.”

“Yeah. Let me know if I can do anything else to help, okay?”

“Thanks, Becca.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments below!


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